Editor:

The election of a sheriff is the most important vote that one can cast. One will never need to call a Clerk’s office, or Treasurer’s office or any other local office to save your life. But the response to a 911 call can save, or cost, a life. I know. Tommy Potter helped save my life. That is why I so strongly support his candidacy for sheriff.

For seven years I was physically and sexually abused in my home. I was beaten, starved and raped. For seven years the system had failed to protect me. For seven years reports of the abuse did not result in an arrest. That all changed when Investigator Tommy Potter became involved in my case. You cannot imagine what it felt like as a 17-year-old victim to meet a man who cared enough about me as a person to work the case as it had never before been worked. You cannot imagine how much it meant to have someone care enough about me as a person to help me navigate through the court system and communicate with the Commonwealth Attorney’s office the way Tommy Potter did. You cannot imagine the strength that he helped me gain through his gentleness and kindness.

He’s not a name. He’s not a badge. He’s not a campaign poster. He is a warrior for the people; a caring, compassionate warrior whose hard work, dedication, and commitment helped put my abuser in prison where he deserved to be. Tommy Potter helped put me where I deserve to be. I am now a survivor who works to train law enforcement to become what Tommy Potter already was for me through our training programs at Road to Repair LLC.

I deserved to have an investigator who cared about me. I deserved a warrior for my cause. And Southampton county and the city of Franklin deserve to have Tommy Potter as their next sheriff.

Yours truly,

Ashley Edwards

Richmond